


Reunion 2020

by Yvette J (HowNovel)



Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-25
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2017-10-25 18:03:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/273188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Yvette%20J
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2020 and Scott’s 27-year-old daughter, Sara, is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.  The only catch is she has no idea that she has an alien heritage and the discovery of it may be the most terrifying but wondrous experiences of her life.</p><p>Revised and updated story from original written in 1998.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion 2020

  
**Reunion 2020**  
By: Yvette J.

Copyright © 1998, revised September 2014. All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction based on characters and situations created in the 1984 feature film and 1986-87 television series, _STARMAN_. It is an amateur publication circulated without profit for the enjoyment of fellow fans. No infringement of existing copyrights is intended.

**Forward**

This story was initially inspired by a dream. Sometimes the greatest thing about dreams is the level of fantasy contained within them. After writing the details of it down in a journal, I decided to use it as a plot device and make it into a story. I will confess that this is a very strange story, but I am using the unedited contents of the dream for this particular piece of fiction. Regardless of how people may feel about it, it is a part of my fan fiction history, and so instead of shoving it under a rug and hiding away in embarrassment, I have decided to revamp the story and allow it to be published alongside my other stories.  
---  
  
Sara Hayden slowly emerged from the high-rise hotel. As she walked beyond the glass doors, she cast a quick glance back inside the brightly lit building. She could see several groups of individuals standing at the reservation desk waiting to check in. Grateful for the end of her shift, she made her way along the brightly lit street in the direction of the subway station. She hoped that she would find a seat inside the train simply because she had been on her feet all day and was quite exhausted.

She hated working as a maid, but she knew that she really needed the job to pay off the student loans, which had accumulated during her years of study. Her field had been in archeology, but because there were no entry-level jobs in it, she had to take whatever she could find.

For some people, Friday nights meant parties and fun. For Sara, it signified the opportunity for some much needed rest. On this particular week, she could enjoy a day off before returning to work on Sunday afternoon. Because she spent much of her time cleaning and fixing up rooms, she had very little contact with her colleagues. She did not necessarily mind this because often she was often the topic of rumors. To many of her colleagues, she was something of a mystery as well as someone who generally kept to themselves.

As she reached the large open space at the entrance to the subway, she noticed that the courtyard was completely void of other people. Even at this hour, she normally would see business people lining the street in suits and ties and smoking cigarettes. The younger people would be out showing off with their skateboards or sitting on benches with small children. On this particular evening, however, it was completely deserted.

She cast a glance back in the direction of the group of buildings that surrounded the courtyard. Like the area adjacent to the hotel, this open area was also empty. Instead of returning to her workplace, she continued slowly in the direction of the subway entrance. Why was the place empty? Where were all the other people?

As an uneasy sensation began to fill her, she stepped onto the escalator that would lead down into the subway system. The further into it she got, the more agitated she began to feel. It was only seven in the evening and the streets were completely void of life and the entrance to the underground was also vacant. In fact, there were no sounds to be heard anywhere; no car horns, music, dogs barking, or even the occasional chit-chat between pedestrians. The silence was positively deafening.

In most situations, Sara would not have been affected by this at all. She enjoyed the quiet, but this brand of it was unnerving. To top it all off, for the better part of the month, she had experienced some pretty intense nightmares that had started out in the very same way.

After waking from it the first time, she concluded that it must the result of having watched or read too much Science Fiction. She was not known to be squeamish about things and whenever she happened to have a nightmare, she would simply get up and go the kitchen for a glass of water before returning to her room and trying to go back to sleep. Over time, the dreams began to get more and more vivid and this left her to ponder whether or not she should take a more extreme course of action like past life regression or hypnosis.

Regardless of the options she considered, the night terrors were no longer random ideas that she dreamt about only at night. She had essentially started to change simple habits to avoid situations that reminded her of them. She no longer liked entering darkened rooms or spending time in confined spaces. At work, she would often glance over her shoulder because she thought she had heard something that sounded like someone was following her. When she would turn around, she discovered that no one was present. Eventually, she stopped reading books or watching movies that could aggravate the dreams, but unfortunately, the more time that passed, the more intense they had become.

On that morning, she had awakened from a nightmare that was so dramatic that she was gasping for breath and sweating profusely. By the time she had gotten to work, she reached the foregone conclusion that something would have to be done to keep her from becoming a nervous wreck. A creaking board or someone shuffling in the hallway caused her to constantly turn around or peer into rooms before entering. This was magnified by the fact that she lived alone and that in the one place where she should have felt at ease, she was not.

The worst part was the daily commute to and from work. Walking around outside had never been a problem before, not even when it was dark, but now riding the subway seemed to be the place where her dream held the strongest resonance.

Aside from the supernatural elements, the dream was centered on her biological family, a topic that she knew very little about. Sara had grown up in and out of foster care and she could not understand how she would come to have dreams about strange creatures, blue lights, and malevolent robots. This was not something that she could simply dismiss, but it was also something that she knew she could not speak to anyone about.

What most people would have perceived as an overactive imagination was actually something that felt so real that it filled her with fright. How was it even possible that she would feel terrified about something as far-fetched as an alien robot abducting her and carrying her off to a strange and foreign place?

Despite her wayward thoughts, she shook her head as she reached the lower deck of the station. Stiffly, she walked towards the escalator and once more descended the steps leading down to the platform. At the landing, she began to rub her hands brusquely together in hopes of calming her jittery nerves. She was clearly frightened when she noticed that the platform was completely empty. It was just like she had seen out on the street and in the upper level of the station. _This is impossible,_ she thought, _there has to be at least a few people around here._

She turned around to see that a train was arriving alongside the platform where she was standing. Just as she was about to approach it, she stopped abruptly when she realized that the subway cars were also empty. _I don’t understand,_ she thought. _How can I be the only person around here if it’s the middle of rush hour?_

As the door leading into the train car abruptly opened right in front of her, she raised her head and screamed.

The alien robot from her nightmare was standing in the doorway of the train car.

As the hollow sounds of her scream filled the area, she stopped suddenly and watched as the robot moved through the doorway and out onto the platform. She took several steps back before running in the direction of the escalator and beginning to desperately climb the stairs, which would take her out of the underground.

As she reached the landing, she stopped momentarily and turned around to see that the robot was slowly ascending the stairs, its feet not even touching them, instead it hovered over them. Desperately, she broke into a run, all the while looking for the quickest means of escape. Soon, she realized that she had taken a wrong turn and was running down a corridor that led to a dead end. By the time she realized this, she turned around to see that the creature was now within several feet of her and was coming closer. By the time it had reached her, she could feel its mechanical arms trapping her against the concrete wall.

Too afraid to do anything else, she tried to stand her ground, but her eyes gave away the fact that she was terrified. When she tried to duck beneath the robot’s arms, she felt a hand grabbing her upper arm and she winced in pain. “Please let me go, you’re hurting me,” she cried all the while struggling in vain to escape.

After several moments of silence passed, the robot spoke, its unemotional voice emerging in the form of a command. “You must come with me, Sara Hayden.”

“H-how do you know my name?” she asked weakly as she continued to struggle against the grip it had on her. “W-what do you want with me?”

“No harm will come to you, Sara Hayden,” it said as it led her away.

Having little choice, she reluctantly followed but continued to struggle against its vice-like grip. After doing this for several seconds, she managed wrench herself free and run away as quickly as she could. Hoping that she had somehow taken the creature by surprise, she tried to use this to her advantage. She did not anticipate the fact that the robot was quick, and within a matter of seconds, it had caught up with her. When she once again felt the strong hold on her, she began to weep softly.

Ignoring its prisoner’s display of emotion, the robot removed a circular gold band from the upper part of its arm. Soon, Sara felt a metallic object being attached to her arm in the exact same place. Once the object was affixed, it was locked in place with a small silver key. Looking down at it, Sara began to feel a sort or weakness enveloping her, but watched instead as the robot extracted some strange kind of hand-link. It released her arm and she attempted to distance herself from it. As soon as she was several meters away, her knees buckled and she slumped to the ground.

“The brace will prevent you from running away,” the robot said as it gripped both of her arms and roughly pulled her to her feet. “There is no escape, Sara Hayden, you must come with me.”

After it spoke, it released its hold on her and led her outside in the direction of the park. As she walked, her fear suddenly turned to anger, and she figured that there would be a chance of escape once they had reached the large open area. As she walked, she could feel her heartbeat speeding up as she prepared to make her escape.

As they reached the deserted park, she once again started to run away from the robot. Upon reaching the specified distance, her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, this time collapsing against the gravel, which lined the sidewalk. As she landed on her knees, she could feel the pain in her left knee, and realized how hard she must have hit the ground. She reached down and ran her hand across her knee and when she touched it, she felt moisture. Moving her hand away from her knee, she glanced down, and saw that it was covered with the gravel and blood.

The robot reached her side and spoke, its voice neither sad nor hostile. “You must not run away, Sara Hayden. It is futile.” It reached down under her arms and cruelly pulled her off the ground.

Sara wanted to scream, but somehow, she could not even do that. “Just tell me what you want with me,” she whispered in a quavering voice. “Why aren’t there any people around here?”

“You cannot see the people,” it responded, “but they are present. They can neither see nor hear us.” As it spoke, it led her out of the park, through the streets, and into a darkened alley.

“H-how come?” she asked weakly.

The robot did not respond; instead it led her to the end of the alleyway. There, it removed the second gold band from its upper arm. This object was thrown in the air and as the gold band left the robot’s hand; it created a hollow, medium sized tube. This appeared to be made out of a clear, hard, solid plastic substance and Sara reached the conclusion that this was alien technology that far surpassed that of earth.

Moments passed and she could suddenly feel a pressure against her upper back. Turning around she noticed that the robot was pushing her towards the tube. As she was inched closer to it, she could feel her hair being drawn towards the nozzle, which resembled that of a large vacuum cleaner. _Oh God, what’s going to happen to me?_ She asked herself as she felt the strong arms of the robot pushing her even closer until she was sucked into the object.  
Inside, she began to scream, but there was no sound which emerged. “Help me, someone, please!” she cried out, but could not hear her own words even though she knew that she had said them.

About five minutes later, she reached the end of the tube and fell to the ground with a resounding thump. There, she could hear that she was crying uncontrollably and her entire body was tense.

Suddenly, a pair of human like hands reached down and gently helped her off the ground. This was accompanied by a gentle sounding voice.

“Do not be afraid, Sara Hayden. No harm will come to you.”

She slowly opened her eyes and raised her head to see that the robot was now gone and in its place, a young man was standing. He appeared to be only a few years older than she and had gentle brown eyes and blond hair. His hair fell loosely over his brow and she watched him brush it aside before practically picking her up and helping her to sit down in a nearby chair.

She was still crying and when she felt the softness of the chair beneath her body, she literally collapsed into herself and covered her face with her hands.

The young man kneeled down in front of her and began to speak, his voice soft and gentile. “Look at me, Sara,” he whispered.

She shook her head, all the while trying to calm herself down. “It’s only a dream and I’ll wake up at home. It’s only a dream.”

The man nodded and stood up after a second before approaching a small console. “I cannot force you to do anything. I can only tell you that I am here to reunite you with your family.”

She moved her hands away from her face with unhidden surprise. “M-my family; I don’t have a family.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t,” she repeated more to herself than to him. After several moments had passed in silence, she finally wiped her eyes before raising her head and looking at him. “If I have a family, then how come I don’t remember anything about them? I never had a family; I grew up bouncing from one foster home to another.”

“I know this may sound hard for you to accept or believe, but your family is the reason I am here. I was sent to bring you to them,” he said.

She shook her head as her thoughts drifted back to her childhood. There were absolutely no clues as to her past. All that she could remember was a time just after she had celebrated her thirteenth birthday when a man from the government had come to the foster home where she was staying and began to interrogate her about her parents. When she was unable to answer them, he became angry and started yelling at her. After that particular confrontation, her foster mother moved her to another state and left her in someone else’s care. She never understood why this had happened, but she never saw the angry man again, and this was for her, a good thing.

Upon graduating from high school, she decided to go to the university and study archeology. If she could not understand her own past, at least she could learn and understand the history of the planet.

She looked up as the man turned away from the console and started to walk towards her. “Please, j-just take me home, I’m scared,” she whispered. When her eyes met his, he looked away.

“I’m sorry but I cannot,” he whispered as he took a similar key and unlocked the gold band, which the robot had attached to her arm. When he pulled it off, he casually tossed it on the table. “No one is going to harm you, Sara Hayden.”

 _So he says,_ she thought, bitterly. “Why should I trust you? You’re holding me against my will, and...” her voice trembled as she realized that her verbal assault might provoke him. Several seconds after growing quiet, she lowered her heard and her next words emerged. “You want me to trust you, but I-I don’t even know who you are or what you want.”

The man nodded and slowly rested his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her trembling beneath his touch and he wondered if his actions would frighten or reassure her. He hoped that it would do the latter. “I am called Brian and I want to help you. I swear to you that I will do nothing to harm you.”

He removed his hands from her shoulders as she looked up at him once again. “Why did you touch me?”

“After watching humans interact, I have seen the use of touch as a means of reassuring one another. I am sorry if this offends you. I am new with learning your ways,” he answered honestly.

“Why won’t you take me home?”

“Because this is a request that I haven’t the power to fulfill,” he answered. “I’ll do whatever else you ask of me, but I cannot take you home, at least not yet.”

Sara shook her head. She was still sandwiched up against the chair. “That robot kidnapped me and now I’m being told I have family, but I don’t remember anything. Why can’t I remember?”

“I don’t know,” he said softly as he kneeled down in front of her. “I know you are afraid, but I promise, I will do nothing to harm you. You must believe me, it is the truth.”

Sara looked at him, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. She was still backed up against the chair. Her fear was quite evident, and she had no reason to believe what he was trying to tell her. Instead of responding verbally, she simply shook her head.

“You do not trust me,” Brian said calmly.

Instead of responding, Sara looked down at her knee that was still bleeding. Throughout the time she had been there, she had forgotten about the physical pain that she had been subjected to. She pressed one of her hands against it, all the while hoping to stop the stinging sensation of the gravel that had mixed in with the wound.

Following her gaze, Brian sighed sadly when he saw the injuries that she had sustained. _Apparently, she had tried to run away from the robot and hurt herself in the process,_ he concluded.

Taking a deep breath he began to speak. “Sara, there is something else I must tell you before we go to the mother ship. The robot that you saw before we met here in this place was created by me. I programmed it to find you and bring you here.”

“You did this?” she asked weakly. As her gaze came to rest on the brace, everything became clear to her. Brian had used a similar key to release her from the bond that the robot had used to make her a captive. “Why?”

“It was because I feared that you would never have come with me willingly, had I approached you myself.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “I was instructed to bring you to our mother ship, and the only way I knew to get you here was through using the robot.”

Sara took a deep breath as she contemplated how some people might have given their lives to ride on such a craft, but she was not one of them. She wanted to go back to earth, and even the hotel where she worked would have been a welcome sight.

She jumped out of the chair and pushed her way past him. He was taken by surprise when she reached the wall of the ship. “Please, somebody, anybody, help me!” As these words filled the room, she began pound against the walls until her fists began to hurt and she gave up her futile attempt at escaping.

“I’m so scared. God, please help me!” she whimpered softly as she clasped her hands together and stared down at her hands.

By this time, Brian had reached her and pulled her into his arms. “Shush, Sara,” he cajoled gently, “you’re in no danger here, no one will harm you.”

This did very little to alleviate her fear, and she continued crying. Eventually, he released one of her arms to reach inside his pocket. From it, he pulled a small metallic orb and as he held her still with one hand, he began to stare intently at the object in the other. Within seconds, a blue light enveloped them both.

Instead of watching the light that was emanating from his hand, Sara closed her eyes and did not see that the light was now encircling her leg. Within seconds, her knee was healed and the light disappeared.

When she felt the pain leaving, she opened her eyes to see that he had returned the object to his pocket. “W-what did you do to me?” she finally asked, her voice feeble.

Brian grabbed a damp cloth from off the table and tossed it casually to her. “Use this to wipe the rest of the blood from your leg and hands.”

She took the cloth gingerly, and repeated her question as she wiped it over her knee. Once she had finished, she used it to clean her hands before discarding it.

“You will soon know. You have these abilities as well, but they are deep inside of you. That’s why I was sent to bring you.” Brian took both of her hands in his and stood up, bringing her with him.

She shook her head, this time not struggling against his hold, but instead looking at him strangely.

“You really don’t know anything about your family, do you?” Brian asked as he led her to the chair where she had been sitting prior to her outburst.

“N-no, I don’t,” she answered softly as she sat down.

Brian smiled weakly, but instead of trying to console her, he began to answer her question. “Your grandfather is like me, I mean he is of the same star as I am. Your grandmother is of the planet earth. When your grandfather visited the earth the first time, he became acquainted with Jenny Hayden. She’s your grandmother, Sara and during his visit they created Scott. Scott Hayden is your father.”

“Y-you mean, a part of me is like you?” she asked as a tremor cursed through her.

He nodded noticing this, but continued speaking, his voice remaining soft. “You must not be afraid of this. It is a part of you, a small part, as you are human, and both your father and grandfather know this. You see, they entrusted in me the task of observing you, and after some time, making contact and bringing you to them. That is the reason why you are here now. I was asked to go find you so that you could be reunited with your family.”

“Why didn’t my father stay with me?” she asked.

“He feared for your life. When your grandfather returned fourteen years after his initial visit, a governmental agency began chasing him and your father. Your grandfather became known as Paul, and he guided and taught your father about his birthright. They spent the next eight years searching for your grandmother. During this time, the adaptability of our world for humans had increased substantially. So when your grandmother was found, your grandfather brought her to the mother ship to live.”

“Was my father with them?” she asked when he paused.

“No, he had met your mother, and they created you,” Brian said as his gaze lowered. “Your father felt that he had to leave you in the care of strangers soon after you were born. Your mother had died and when he thought you would be safe, he returned to his father and mother, and has lived there for the last twenty of your years.”

Sara took a deep breath. This story seemed almost too unbelievable to be real, and yet she felt herself compelled to believe it. Too many things had transpired in her life that paralleled the story. She looked down at her hands and could see that they were still trembling slightly. “Why didn’t my father come for me before he left? I don’t understand.”

“Your father had decided to wait. You were only seven when he left and he feared that you were too young to be taken away from your home.”

“But, you’ve taken me away from my home and…” her voice trailed off.

Brian nodded as he briefly covered his mouth with his hand. She was right, he had done this, and he could sense that she was still afraid, but he was not certain if it was of the truth or of him. “I’m afraid that is all I can tell you. In two days, we shall rendezvous with the mother ship, and you will be able to ask them everything and they will be better able to answer. I am sadly, not the one who can adequately respond to your inquiries.”

“I’m scared, Brian,” she whispered as she looked up at him. As her gaze momentarily locked with his, she closed her eyes.

“This is your family Sara; you have no reason to be afraid of them. They are as much a part of you as you are of them.” He smiled slightly when he realized that she was using his given name. He wondered if that meant that she had become less afraid of him.

“But, what should I do?” she asked weakly.

“There is nothing which you can do,” he said as he took both of her hands in his. “You will know what you must say or do when the time comes. I wish I could tell you something that would calm your fears and make you not so afraid, but I do not know what that is. Just try not to worry.”

She nodded weakly as he released her hands and walked over towards the console. She hesitantly stood up and followed. Her attention shifted and she could see the stars through the small window. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she watched the earth become smaller and smaller until finally it disappeared. She reached her hand out towards the glass window, but when it brushed against the glass, she withdrew it before walking slowly away from the console and back over towards the chair.

For a while, she remained seated not far from the console where Brian was working. She watched the back of his head all the while contemplating the words he had spoken to her. Part of her did not want to believe him, but there was another part of her that could not deny that he was kind and caring. “My family,” she whispered softly under her breath, “I don’t think I would even dare to believe it.”

She fell asleep, but was abruptly awoken several hours later to the soft sounds of Brian’s voice. “Sara, please wake up. What is the matter?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes and recognized that she was still seated in the chair, her hands gripping the sides of it and her knuckles completely white. “W-what happened?” she whispered.

“You screamed. Did you see something in your mind as you rested?”

She closed her eyes and nodded numbly.

“What is it, what did you see?” he asked as he gently patted her shoulder.

 

In the back of her mind, she had remembered the dream, which she had prior to being abducted and brought to this craft. She had once again experienced the nightmare. After some moments had passed, she spoke, her voice wavering. “H-how long were you watching me?”

“Just now, as you were resting?” Brian asked but without waiting for an answer he continued. “You have been sleeping a little over nine of your hours.”

She shook her head. “No, I mean before you sent the robot to bring me here?”

“I have been observing you a little over thirty of your days,” Brian said as he turned away from the console so that he could face her.

Upon hearing his response, an unconscious tremor cursed through her. “Oh God, that means the dreams…they were real.”

“What do you mean?”

“About a month ago I started having these nightmares; no they were night terrors…” she could not bring herself to speak further.

“I don’t understand,” he said as he pressed several buttons on the console before returning to her side. “Define ‘night terrors’?”

“They’re like dreams but they are beyond scary,” she said as she raised her head and looked at him. “I would wake up and I would be trembling, like this.” She held up her hand and he could see that her entire body was unconsciously shaking.

“What were you dreaming?”

Sara took a deep breath as she shook her head and tried unsuccessfully at getting these images out of her conscience. “It was about the robot,” she answered as she wiped her hands over her eyes in order to brush away the tears.

“I see, then it truly is no wonder you are so frightened of me. I have done you such a grave disservice and I cannot undo it.” He leaned over and placed both of his hands on her shoulders and crouched down so he would be eye level with her. “I am so sorry for having hurt you. I cannot change what I have done to you. I can only ask that you forgive me for having used that thing to bring you here.”

As she heard these words she exhaled slowly but watched as he reached into his pocket and extracted the silver sphere. He then attempted to capture one of her hands.

When she refused to surrender it, he took an exasperated breath. “It’s alright, I won’t hurt you.” When he finally managed, he held it tightly in his own but could still feel her struggling against him. “Just calm down, it’s alright.” As he spoke, he placed the sphere in her hand and continued holding his under hers.

Despite herself, she tried to close her eyes. “No, open your eyes and look at me,” he whispered as the sphere began to glow.

Sara did as he instructed and as the light filled the interiors of the small craft; he was able to assure her that he would be there if or when she needed him. Once the light had vanished, she sat unable to move but still held the silver sphere in her hand.

Brian watched her for several moments before he found his voice and spoke. “I am so deeply sorry my actions hurt you. It is, you see, a part of what I am that forbids me from causing others pain. Your father will no doubt be very upset with me for what I have done to you, but it is not just his anger that I must contend with, it is the guilt over the pain that I have subjected you to.” He lowered his head as he removed the object from her hand.

When she felt this, she raised her head to see that he was sitting before her, his head bowed in utter regret. Before she could respond to his words, he continued. “The robot on our world is a very primitive object, but I foolishly believed that I had very little choice. If I had known of your dreams and how linked you were to them, I would never have sent it at all. I would have come to you myself and risked your rejection.”

“Y-you were afraid I might reject you,” Sara whispered.

He nodded. “You are such a beautiful person and I am not much to look at, not even in my natural form. The light fades and mine is dull compared to many.”

“Is the blue light how you appear?” Sara asked. When he nodded, she continued. “How can you call yourself ‘dull’ then?”

Brian looked into the eyes of the young woman. She was responding to his mistakes in the same kind manner that he had seen during the course of his observations. “You are very kind Sara and I know now that I should have come to you myself. This is what your father requested of me, but I did not heed his words.”

She nodded and found her voice. “It’s rather hard for me to believe that an alien can feel so insecure about himself.”

“It can happen,” Brian said softly as he reached over and began to brush the tears from beneath her eyes. “You are not to blame for what I have done. It was my mistake and one that I shall regret for the remainder of my days.” He took a deep breath before his next words emerged. “Will you tell me what you remember about your dream?”

“I remember being pushed into a vacuum like tube like the one that brought me here. I couldn’t even hear my own voice, but I screamed as loud as I could. When I cried for help, there was no one to help me. The robot was hard and unfeeling and I had never felt as alone and afraid as I did when I was in its presence.”

“And it was exactly the same in your visions as it was in reality?” Brian asked, but his question sounded more like a statement of fact then an inquiry.

She nodded, “yes, it was horrifying, and the mere thought of it absolutely terrifies me.”

“That was why you wanted to run away from it. Because of your nightmares, the reality of it terrified you. Is that not right?”

She nodded.

“Now I understand why you changed over time,” Brian said.

“What do you mean?”

“You became more and more fearful as the days passed. I couldn’t understand why, but now I do. You were having reoccurring visions about the robot. As I observed, I noticed that you had changed and were afraid whenever you were alone. Do you remember anything else?”

She shook her head. “No, except there were thoughts about my birth family and blue light, but the robot was more real than anything else. Then I saw it and...” her voice trailed as she clamped her eyes shut.

Brian silently nodded, but this time he gently enfolded her in his arms, his hand lightly touching one side of her face and holding it against his chest.

This time, she remained where she was. She could tell that he regretted his mistakes and the more time she spent in his presence, the more she trusted him. Something deep inside of her knew that he meant her no harm and when she looked into his eyes, she could see the sadness that dwelled within them. Despite her own misgivings, she held tightly to him until he eventually drew away.

“You’re not afraid anymore?” he asked with a gentle smile on his face.

“Of you?” when he nodded, she shook her head slightly. “You have been very kind to me, and I’ve treated you unfairly.”

“No, you didn’t,” he said softly. “You were just afraid.”

“I still am,” she confessed, “but not of you. I’m afraid of where we’re going and what’s going to happen to me when we get there.”

“Do you trust me?” he asked as he looked deeply into her eyes.

This time, she hesitantly nodded.

“Then trust me when I tell you, we’re going to meet your family. Your father and grandparents are anxious to know you, Sara Hayden.” With that, he stood up, but his hands were still resting gently on her shoulders as he looked down at her.

“Will you be there with me when I meet them?” she asked.

“If that is your wish, then yes, I would be honored.”

“It is,” she said softly. “I mean; if I have to go through with this, I think I would rather have a friend present when it happens.”

“You view me as a friend?” he asked as he smiled down at the young woman.

She nodded. “I guess I do.”

“You are still afraid, I can still see it in your eyes,” he said, and once she nodded, he continued. “I understand.” He moved his hands away from her shoulders and stood up. “More than anything, I would love to stay by your side, but I must manually fly the craft, otherwise we will be late arriving.”

“How much longer will it be before we get there?” Sara asked.

“It will take another day before we arrive,” Brian said. “Why don’t you rest a little more? You’re still very tired, yes?”

She nodded numbly stretching out in the chair and after some minutes passed, she fell into an uneasy slumber.

Brian watched her for several moments and then sat back down at the console. _After so little time, she sees me as a friend,_ he thought happily.

Within the next twenty-four hours, they would reach the mother ship and Sara Hayden would be reunited with the family she never knew she had.  
  
---  
  
Twenty-four hours passed very quickly. 

Light years away on the alien mother ship, Scott Hayden was pacing the floor. Impatience was written all over his face and he found himself constantly fumbling with his sphere in the hopes that the object would ultimately tell when Brian and Sara would be arriving. Next to him, Paul and Jenny stood. They were waiting as well.

“Do you think she’ll be angry that I left her there?” Scott asked his father. It was clear that this reunion was making him increasingly on edge. It had actually been through Paul’s insistence that Brian take a craft to earth in order to pick Sara up.

Paul shook his head, after a few seconds and spoke. “I really don’t know.”

“I should have gone instead of Brian,” Scott mused. “I just don’t trust him with my daughter.”

“Brian is well versed in diplomacy, Scott, he’ll handle things just fine,” Paul said.

“That’s not what concerns me,” Scott said. “Brian is about the same age as Sara and his incessant tinkering makes me nervous.”

“Tinkering?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah,” Scott said. “He showed me the last piece he made before he left and it gives me goose bumps. It’s a robot, but it looks like something straight out of a horror movie. I swear, if he used that thing to bring Sara here, I’ll go completely mad.”

Paul looked at his son. “Scott, try to remember that Brian and I are from a peaceful race. To trust me to go and find your daughter would mean to trust Brian as well. Believe me, Scott, he would never harm her.”

“Yeah, but Dad, you’re different, you’re her grandfather, he’s just some guy,” Scott objected.

“Yes, but I’m also alien to her,” Paul said. “The fact that Brian and I have known each other for many years is irrelevant to you, but maybe not to her. He will appear around her age, and he will be able to relate to her in ways that I cannot. Sending Brian will help her to gain trust in something that she may not fully understand.”

“What’s not to understand?” Scott asked.

“A great deal,” Paul said gently. “I lost fourteen years of your life and you have lost twenty-seven of hers. This is not going to be easy for either of you. The other truth is that we have no idea how she has lived or what her past experiences have been.”

“I know,” Scott said. “I remember how I felt when you showed up and told me that I was half ‘space cadet’.”

Jenny wrapped her arms around Scott and smiled up at him. “You forgave us for leaving you behind and I think Sara will do the same. Try not to worry, Scott.”

“I’ll try, but after Marla died, I just didn’t know if I could keep Sara safe. Fox was still after us and if he had found out about her, then he’d have started to chase her all over the place as well. I just wish I could have been there for at least some of the time when she was growing up just to explain things to her.”

Paul nodded as he looked at Jenny. “I often wondered if it was such a good idea for me to have left you with such a precious gift.” As his gaze came to rest on his son, he smiled sadly. He had known for a very long time that the situation they faced had not been easy. Now that he had brought both Jenny and Scott there to live, he often wondered if Jenny sometimes felt isolated from others of her own kind.

He knew that through the sphere, Scott was able to telepathically communicate with beings on board the ship. This lessened his sense of isolation, but because Jenny was all human, she would never be able to do so.

Instead of continuing to ponder this, Paul took a deep breath. “I can only wonder if Sara is going to be willing to stay here with us as well. I realize that we must respect her wishes, but I also know of the importance of having a family that understands her.” He looked down at Jenny, who had wrapped her arms around his waist and was holding onto him. Kissing the top of her head, he smiled. “I am still surprised that you were so willing to sacrifice everything to come here to live.”

“You gave me a chance to love again. What is there to feel regretful about? We have a beautiful son whom we love very much. Now, we’re about to meet our granddaughter.” Smiling, Jenny hugged him tenderly.

“I wouldn’t have changed anything,” Scott said. “We had a lot of really fun times together and I know you didn’t have it easy. You were always trying to do the best for me.” The younger man smiled fondly at his father, all the while making Paul think that his son was still a teenager and not a grown man.

“Yes, but there were far too many risks involved, which I didn’t think about when I first came,” Paul said sadly. “I would never have wanted to hurt anyone.”

“We know that,” Jenny said gently as the craft’s arrival interrupted their conversation. The three of them turned and stared in the direction of a large landing pad and they could see a similar spacecraft as the one Paul had once piloted landing several meters away from where they were standing. Moments later, the door opened and Scott came closer, his physical body separating him from his parents.

Moments later, Brian emerged from the craft. “Greetings, Scott,” he said as he came over to meet him.

“Is Sara inside?” Scott asked clearly concerned when he did not see his daughter next to his father’s friend.

“Yes, she is,” Brian answered calmly. “She is presently asleep.”

Scott nodded. “Is she okay?”

“Yes, she is fine, but she is still afraid. Partially because she does not understand what has happened to her, but also because of me.”

“What did you do?” Scott asked sharply.

“I fear that I am the reason that she is most afraid. Against your wishes I used the robot as a tool to bring her to the ship. I feared that otherwise she would never have come and I felt as though it was the only option. I really had no idea that she was such a fragile young woman.”

“I can’t believe you used that thing,” Scott said taking a deep breath. “I told you to make direct contact, not scare her half out of her mind with some foolish trinket.”

Paul approached the two of them, and rather than saying anything about the robot or the tension between the two, his concern was for his granddaughter. “Where is Sara, Brian?”

“She’s inside.” Brian answered as he looked shamefully down at the ground. “I know I was supposed to contact her directly, but I was afraid that she would never have come if I had asked.” Without another word, he walked slowly away, but not before Scott noticed the faint blush that colored the younger man’s cheeks.

“He brought her here, but not the way I had hoped he would,” Scott said once Brian was out of earshot. “I’m really angry about this, Dad.”

“Yes, I can tell,” Paul said softly.

Scott approached the craft. “I’m going to get my daughter out of there,” he said with determination. Reaching the portal, he stopped and turned around.

The first thing he noticed was that Brian was standing not far away from the entrance, and he carried a look on his face that was encased in guilt and sorrow. He could tell that the younger man cared deeply for his daughter, but with a look of stubborn determination, he dismissed it. Stepping inside the craft, he sighed when he saw Sara curled up in a chair fast asleep.

 _It’s my daughter,_ he thought sadly, looking down at the dark-haired woman as she slept. Her wavy brown hair fell over her eyes and an expressionless look was on her face.

Guilt suddenly filled him and he sighed. _I told Dad that he wasted fourteen years, but I’ve gone and wasted twenty-seven._ Unable to even utter a sound, he rested his hand gently on her shoulder and whispered her name.

After several moments had passed, she stirred. As she shifted in her chair, she slowly opened her eyes.

Upon seeing a stranger leaning over her, Sara screamed. This brought Brian into the craft. When he saw her trembling, he approached and wrapped his arms gently around her. “Shhh, Sara, everything is going to be okay.”

When her breathing started to return to normal, she looked at Brian with an unspoken question in her gaze.

“This is Scott Hayden, he’s your father,” Brian said gently. “You have no reason to be afraid of him.”

Scott nodded, unsure of what to say next. His daughter’s fear struck at his heart, and he looked down at the ground. After several moments had passed, he turned away from her for a brief moment to glare at Brian. “Please leave us,” he said simply.

Brian nodded as he pulled himself gently from Sara’s hold. With his gaze still on the ground, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “It was a mistake.”

“I don’t want to see you anywhere near her,” Scott snapped. “Because of you, she’s absolutely terrified of everyone. That’s not what we wanted.”

Brian looked into Sara’s eyes, but instead of responding, he sighed deeply and left. His mission was now completed and he was free to return to his normal state. Using his sphere, he destroyed the robot before returning to his quarters. Sara would no longer be able to see him, but given her father’s request, that did not matter.  
  
---  
  
Back at the landing craft, Scott was trying unsuccessfully at coercing her out of the chair. “I can’t believe he used that thing to bring you here. I’m so sorry Sara. Having him fulfill this mission was a huge mistake.” Scott approached but as he came closer, she cowered in the chair.

Moments later, Paul and Jenny entered the craft and when they saw Scott standing a few steps away from her, Paul approached.

“Let me try, Scott,” Paul said gently, approaching Sara. He kneeled down and looked at her. “Hello, Sara. My name is Paul and I’m your grandfather. Why don’t you look up? We’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”

Upon hearing the gentle sounding voice, Sara slowly raised her head.

“That’s it, we mean you no harm,” he said softly. Extending his hand to her he waited as she hesitantly reached out and accepted it. When he held it, he glanced back towards Jenny and waited for her to approach.

As soon as she had reached them, the older woman spoke; her voice soft and filled with warmth. “Hello Sara, I’m your grandmother. Do you want to come with us?”

The young woman nodded hesitantly and soon she could feel the reassuring hands of her grandparents helping her out of the chair and over towards the door which would exit the craft. Once they had stepped outside, Sara shrank back in terror when she saw the large interior of the mother ship.

Jenny smiled sympathetically at her as they led her away from the landing craft. Paul and Scott hung back. “You know, I remember when I first came here,” Jenny said softly. “Everything was so large and frightening and I thought I would never get over the initial fear and shock of it all.”

“Y-you were afraid?” Sara asked.

Jenny nodded, “yes, I was.”

“Why did you come?”

“Because I love your grandfather and your father so much and I also knew that this would be the only place where we could live our lives in peace,” Jenny said, and then asked a question of her own. “Did you ever have problems with the government as you were growing up?”

Sara nodded slowly. “Yes, a man came to me when I was thirteen-years-old, and he got angry with me because I didn’t know anything about my family. Later, my foster parents moved me to another home in a different state and I never saw him again.”

“I see,” Jenny said nodding. “You really didn’t know anything about your family, did you?”

Sara shook her head. “No, I bounced from one foster home to another. I never knew the feeling of home until I got my own place.”

A few steps back, Scott was talking to Paul about everything that was taking place. “She’s afraid of me, Dad,” Scott said sadly. “I suppose it’s because she heard me tell Brian to stay away from her.”

“I have this strange feeling that Brian has some pretty strong feelings for her. Keep in mind that they were in a confined area for seventy-two hours and as you know a lot can happen in three days. I was standing out here when she screamed and I watched Brian run inside as though he’d have given his life to save her,” Paul said softly. “You must remember, your daughter is now an adult, and she must be able to make up her mind when it comes to what she does and who she sees.”

“I know,” Scott answered. “I just can’t understand why he used that robot. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to go back to earth just because of that.”

“If she does then we have to respect her decision. That is her home, or at least it has been for the last twenty-seven years. We can’t expect her to stay just because we did, we must support her decision and that means we cannot blame anyone or anything for her choosing what she ultimately does. It may actually be independent of whatever Brian has done.”

“I know, but I still think that sending him will affect her choice,” Scott said sadly. “I blame myself though, I shouldn’t have waited this long to contact her.”

“I know,” Paul replied. “By sending Brian, we have given her an opportunity to know that she does have a choice. That’s much better than leaving her alone and denying her the option.”

As Jenny continued to help Sara into her room, Scott came over to them. “Thanks, Mom,” he said softly. Once the door was open, he took Sara’s free elbow and helped his mother lead her inside. Once inside, Jenny excused herself and left Scott alone with his daughter. “Are you afraid of me?” he asked softly.

She nodded numbly sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“I’m quite harmless,” he said smiling broadly as he sat down across from her.

She looked up and offered an unconvincing smile. “I don't know you,” she offered honestly.

“Yeah, I know and I’m really sorry about that. I should have come to you when you were younger, but I didn’t want to interrupt your life.”

“Interrupt my life?” she asked skeptically. “You’re my father, why would I ever believe that you were interrupting my life? I grew up feeling isolated, anyway. You coming would have been a welcomed relief.”

“You really had a difficult time, didn’t you?” Scott asked.

She nodded.

“I probably should have realized it,” he offered sincerely. “I guess I did come across as a bit of a bull in a china shop just now and that frightened you.”

“Can I see Brian?” she asked. “I should be able to without asking permission, but I don’t know where he went. He promised me that he would be there for me, but now he’s gone.”

“You’re not angry with him?” Scott asked.

“No, he was very good to me,” she said softly. “Okay, I was at first, but then he talked to me and somehow made everything easier.”

“The dreams were pretty horrifying for you, the robot’s sudden appearance probably terrified you,” Scott said gently as he rested his hand on her shoulder.

She raised her head and looked at him with obvious surprise. “How’d you know?” She asked.

“I guess because I’m your father, and I can see it in your eyes. I know that it scared you.” He smiled at her but continued to speak. “I didn’t want Brian to use the robot at all and I’m highly opposed that he did. I don’t think you would have been as afraid as you are now if he had come to you directly.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have been afraid, but I probably would never have agreed to come at all. I didn’t know him any better than I know you now. If he had forced me to come, then it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. I mean whether it was him or the robot, I would have still been scared. If I had been given a choice, I probably wouldn’t have left my home.”

Scott's expression looked sad, but he remained silent as she continued to speak.

“I know you don’t want me to see Brian, but I need him. If you take that away, then you would be leaving me without even a choice and that’s not fair,” she whispered.

Scott stood up before making his way over to the door. “I’ll see what I can do, Sara,” he said softly before exiting. He was saddened that she wanted Brian over him, but he understood. _I’m nothing but a stranger to her, she said so herself,_ he thought as he contemplated her words. He headed back to his quarters, and didn't stop until he reached his door.

Sara was left alone. After staring for several moments at the closed door, she collapsed across the bed and began to cry. She did not know why, but she had the feeling that her father was not going to get Brian, and she knew she needed him.

“Brian,” she spoke to the stillness, “where are you?”

When there emerged no answer, she pulled the bedding back and crawled under the covers. After lying there for about an hour, she realized that she was unable to sleep. She finally crawled out of bed, and left her quarters to search for Brian on her own.

As she made her way through the various hallways, she realized that she was lost. The corridors were filled with blue light, and she concluded that this was how the beings of her grandfather’s world appeared. _I should’ve looked to see if there was a number on the door,_ she thought. When she looked at some of the other doors; she realized that there were not any numbers or symbols on them either. _When I find Brian, he'll help me find my way back,_ she thought with an exhausted yawn.

Within moments she had slid to the ground and had fallen asleep.  
  
---  
  
At the same time her granddaughter was exploring the corridors, Jenny had emerged from her and Paul’s room to walk around. Having lived on this ship for a long time, she knew her way around, but nothing prepared her for what she would find when she turned down one of the corridors. On the floor, she saw Sara leaning up against one of the walls. The young woman was sound asleep and several of Paul’s people had surrounded her. The blue light of their bodies were covering and nonverbally protecting her granddaughter.

When they realized that Jenny was now present, they were able to disperse.

“Oh my,” the older woman muttered as she rushed to her granddaughter’s side. “Sara, wake up.”

Sara moaned and slowly opened her eyes, “who’s there?”

“It’s your grandmother,” Jenny offered her hand to Sara and once the young woman had accepted it, she stood up. “Why don’t you come with me?”

Sara nodded and silently began to follow Jenny.

“You got lost, didn’t you?” Jenny asked after several moments of silence had passed between them.

“I guess.”

“I understand, when I first came, I had a difficult time learning my way around. I usually had to go with your grandfather. He knows his way around these ships quite well,” Jenny said smiling. “Without him, I would have been pretty frightened.”

“Yeah,” Sara mused.

“This isn’t easy, I know,” Jenny said. “I’m almost sorry we arranged to have you brought here. What we did to you wasn’t entirely fair, was it?”

Sara shook her head. “I had no choice in the matter.”

Jenny patted her hand as they reached another doorway. As the door slid open, she looked up to see that Paul was standing in the doorway. He offered Jenny a loving smile before looking into the eyes of his granddaughter. “Got lost didn’t you?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

“Yes, she did,” Jenny answered affectionately. “It was very much like I did the first time you brought me here.”

Sara looked up at the kind blue eyes of her grandfather. She had many questions, but did not know how to ask, or what to say. She remained silent as Jenny showed her where to sit down. She looked around their room and noticed many old photographs of people on earth, a red baseball cap, and a picture of a small boy.

Paul noticed this and came over to where she was seated. “You have many questions and very few answers, don’t you?” he asked as he sat down next to her.

“H-how did you know?”

“Perhaps because Scott also had questions after I returned to find him. You mustn’t be afraid to ask, Sara. We will help you find the answers you seek, but it is perhaps easier if you let down your guard and trust us,” Paul said as he ran his hand through his graying hair.

“Why am I here?” Sara asked shyly.

“Scott and I spoke about you many years ago. When he returned to be with us, I told him that he should find you and bring you here as well, but he argued that because you were still a child back then, you needed other children and a stable environment in which to live in. Because of this, we decided to wait. As you got older, we realized that it was no longer the right choice to leave you on your own, so we agreed to send for you.”

She looked down at her lap and then back up at the man who claimed he was her grandfather. “I’m so confused,” she whispered.

“We know,” Jenny said.

“But, you don’t, you have no idea what my life has been like,” she whispered.

“Then tell us,” Paul said. “You can speak of whatever you like, no one will be angry with your honesty.”

Sara nodded. “I grew up without any family, nothing. I bounced from one foster home to another, never understanding anything. When I was thirteen there was this man who confronted me. He was saying that he was with the government and started to drill me about my family and when I couldn’t answer, he got angry and told me that I wasn’t trying hard enough.” She looked down at her lap as her eyes filled with tears. “Now I’m being told that I have a family, but the honest truth is I have no idea about what is real and what isn’t.”

“I’m sorry, Sara, we truly had no idea,” Paul said regretfully. “It was never our intention to create difficulties for you by bringing you here. We merely agreed that it was important for you to know of your birthright before too much more time had passed. I know you’re afraid, but all we would like is to be your family. We all know that twenty-seven years is a very long time to not come back.”

“Wouldn’t you be afraid?” she asked softly.

“Yes,” Jenny said as Sara’s next words emerged.

“I was kidnapped, and forced to come here against my will. I spent the entire trip here scared to death. I was afraid I was going to die.” As she was speaking, her voice began to crack. “I’m still afraid, and the only person who can alleviate that fear is gone.”

“You mean, Brian?” Jenny asked, and when she received a confirming nod, understanding washed over her. She looked at Paul and nodded. “It would seem that your people do not possess tact when dealing with people from earth, Paul.”

He nodded as he reached over and rested his hand on one of Sara’s. “It would seem so,” he whispered.

Jenny looked into the eyes of her granddaughter and began to speak. “The first time Paul came to me, it was several months after my husband had died. At the time, he looked just like my husband and I was terrified of him. He couldn’t understand how it was and ended up forcing me to come with him.”

“You mean; he kidnapped you?” Sara asked.

“Yes, and I remember how he had this gun on his lap and how scared I was that he was going to use it. At one point I confronted him about kidnapping me, he told me that he meant me no harm. I was dreadfully afraid of him during the first day, but after three days, I realized that I had fallen in love with him.” As she was speaking, she reached for Paul’s hand and when she felt his fingers encircling her own, she continued. “I do understand how you feel, Sara, but please believe me when I tell you that Paul’s people would never harm you.”

She nodded, looking back at her grandmother. “I’m still scared. Brian promised on the way here that he’d be here for me. But, now he’s gone, and I’m alone...again.”

“You really do care about him, even if he’s made many mistakes in bringing you here?” Paul asked gently.

“Not anymore than any other person might,” she said softly. “I need him; he’s my only friend here. I mean; how would you feel if someone tried to keep you away from Grandmother?”

“I would feel quite unhappy,” Paul said softly. “Scott felt that it would be better if Brian did not have any further contact with you.”

“He can’t do that,” she objected. “He can’t play ‘father of the year’, not after having no contact with me for the past twenty-seven years.”

“He only wants what’s best for you, Sara,” Paul said.

“He doesn’t know what’s best for me,” Sara argued. “Brian’s presence was the only constant I have had in the last three days. Please find him for me, I need him.”

“Is Brian who you were looking for when you got lost?” Paul asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you love him?” Jenny asked gently.

“I don’t know,” she confessed. “I just know that I’ve never felt this way about anyone else before.”

Paul nodded and looked at Jenny, who offered a slow nod. “I’ll send a message to him,” he said as he pulled out his sphere, “but I must hurry.”

Sensing the urgency in his voice, Jenny grew quiet as Paul concentrated on the object in his hand. She knew that if they waited any longer Brian would be gone.  
  
---  
  
Brian was still sitting alone in his room. Since he had brought Sara to this place, he felt sad. She was no doubt with her family and doing much better than when she was with him.

He looked across the room as he remembered how things had been when this mission had started. Back then, it had been just another mission. He knew that finding Sara had been his responsibility and he took it very seriously.

He had watched her from the observation craft, laughed when she was happy, and felt sad when things had not gone right for her. When he had sent the robot to get her, he had done so out of desperation. He was far too shy about going to her, not when he was starting to have strong feelings for her. When she was finally brought to him, he knew that there was only one human emotion to describe what he was feeling and that was ‘love’.

He looked around the room before reaching for a cup of tea that was on the table. He knew that he would eventually have to return now that his mission was complete, but he could not imagine doing that without at least telling Sara ‘good-bye’.

Since Scott did not want him near his daughter, he had nothing that kept him there.

Without Sara, he felt alone.

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his sphere. _I guess I’d better do this now,_ he thought to himself. When he looked down at the object, he noticed that it was glowing. When the blue light faded, he stood up. Paul was summoning him, but he did not know why. Instead of pondering this any further, he got to his feet and left his quarters. He rounded several corridors, all the while hoping that he would reach Paul’s room before the signal had completely faded.

Moments later, he reached Paul and Jenny’s room and watched as the door slid open. Walking quietly into the room, he began to speak, his hand still holding to the sphere. “I got your message and...” his voice trailed off when he looked over and saw Sara sitting in a chair next to Jenny.

Without any warning, the young woman raised her head and practically jumped out of her seat and ran straight into his arms. The sphere he was holding fell out of his hand and rolled across the floor. “Brian!” she called out with obvious relief written all over her face.

Instead of returning her embrace, the young man stood, his arms outstretched but his hands not doing anything. He looked completely shocked by what had just happened, but he looked down and saw Sara still holding tightly to him. “What has happened?” he asked, his hands eventually relaxing and returning the embrace.

“Sara wanted to see you,” Jenny said softly. “So Paul called you. We felt that it would have been quite sad if you had left her without saying ‘good-bye’.”

“Good-bye?” Sara asked softly. “Where would you have gone?”

Brian looked down at the floor somewhat guiltily before looking at her. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me after you were reunited with your family.”

Sara looked at him. “But, you can’t leave me, you promised, back when we were coming here. Don’t promises mean anything here?”

“Yes, they mean everything,” Brian said as he backed out of her embrace, but took her hands in both of his. “I just figured that since your father didn’t want me to be in contact with you, I had to respect that.”

“He can’t decide for me, Brian, I’m an adult, and I can make up my own mind about who I spend my time with,” Sara said assertively.

Paul nodded. “Yes, and she did leave her room to come find you. After getting lost, she asked me to send you a message, so I did. It appears as though she feels that you are her only friend here. You know I could never have denied her that. Friendship is important.”

“You said that about me?” he asked.

“Among other things, but there’s something else I wanted to tell you and I was afraid that I wouldn’t get the chance.” At that moment she felt like blundering teenager all over again. They had spent so little time in one another’s company but she had come to the realization that he was so important to her. She looked down at her hands and noticed that they were now sweating profusely. Instead of continuing, she nervously wiped them down the front of her blouse before raising her head and looking into the kind eyes of the man who had brought her to her family.

“On our way here, you promised me that you would stay with me. When I met my father, you weren’t even present and I thought…” her voice trailed.

“…I wanted to be there, Sara, really I did,” he whispered. “I was just afraid that my presence wasn’t needed or wanted.”

“But it was, I mean; you helped me to not be afraid of meeting my family. I know that I’m still scared, but somehow I don’t feel so alone when you’re with me. I like that feeling of knowing that you’re there.”

“I don’t think I can fulfill what you’ve asked of me. Your father is very angry with me because of the robot. I have disassembled it, but I still feel rather badly about it. That may not be enough to earn his pardon.”

“You don’t have to earn his pardon, Brian, I’ve forgiven you and that should be enough. If he’s angry about it then it’s his problem not mine and not yours.” When she looked into his eyes, she saw traces of sadness still lurking there. “Please don’t be sad. When we were up there, you talked to me and made me understand the reason for everything that happened. I know that I need my family, but as much as I need them, I also need you.”

“Why would you need me?” Brian asked. “I caused you so much pain and heartache.”

Sara looked over at her grandparents, but instead of hearing words of wisdom from either of them, all she saw was them smiling at her. _What else can I say?_ She asked herself. _How can I make him see that he means so much to me?_

She stood up and went over to where he was now seated. Instead of immediately speaking, she leaned over and rested her hands on his shoulders. “You did this to me when we were coming here. I thought at the time that it was an insult, but, now I realize that it was you telling me that you care about me. I didn’t see how that was possible because I was so afraid.”

He lowered his head, but what he did not expect was for her to reach over and touch one side of his face. “I think I knew from the first moment that you care for me. There were things that you said that made me see how special you are. I know that I wasn’t easy to deal with, but you did with all the patience and love that exists. If I had to go through all of this on my own, I would have gone completely mad, but I didn’t have to. You were there and I’m grateful to you.” She paused as she swallowed the lump that had unconsciously formed in her throat. “I-I love you.”

“You love me?” he asked, his voice cracking as he took the hand that was caressing his cheek and enfolded it in his own.

“How do you feel about me?” she asked shyly.

Brian wrapped her gently in his arms and kissed her. When he drew back, he smiled weakly at her. “I have loved you since the first moment I saw you,” he responded as though it was the most obvious response in the world. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first moment we met," he said blushing.

Sara smiled, but instead of speaking, she pressed her lips against his and allowed herself to sink even further into his hold.

Paul and Jenny smiled, but seconds later, Scott rushed into the room and upon seeing his daughter and Brian locked in a passionate embrace, his otherwise cheerful expression clouded over. “I thought I told you that I didn’t want you around my daughter,” he said angrily.

As he approached, Brian and Sara’s embrace loosened, but the younger man positioned himself protectively between father and daughter. “You behave this way, you’ll only push her further away,” Brian said as Scott approached. Before he could say anything in response, Paul rested his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Your daughter is an adult and she should be able to decide who her friends are without you intervening,” Paul said gently. “I know that you may not be one for advice, but I do recall you making mistakes and you learned from them. Judging Brian based on one mistake is not right. Sara has forgiven him, and you must as well. Aside from that, the two of them have just professed their love to one another before you came in. Basically, to accept her means that you must also accept him.”

Scott looked over at his mother, who nodded. “Scott, your father’s right in this case. Sara may seem like a little girl to you as that is what you remember about her, but look at her. Today, she’s a lovely young woman who knows what she wants out of her life.”

Scott seated himself at the table and rested his chin in his hands. “I was afraid that you’d choose to leave and go back to earth.”

“I would have if I had lost Brian,” she confessed. “The deal is, I guess I could be angry with you for having left me alone for all those years, but I’m not. I know it sounds strange, but to suddenly wake up and realize that I’m not an orphan is sort of special. I’ve never had anyone look out for me before. It feels sort of weird.”

“Weird in our family isn’t such a bad thing,” Scott said.

“Perhaps not,” she said as she looked at her father and smiled weakly. “There are still moments when I’m afraid, but now that I know that I’m safe here, I don’t really need to be protected from anything.” She looked at Paul. “Do I?”

“No, you don’t,” he whispered gently.

Sara took a deep breath as she looked over at Brian before approaching her father and wrapping her arms around him from behind. She then rested her head on his shoulder. “Isn’t being back together the most important thing?”

“Yes,” Scott said with a nod of his head, “but I’m afraid that my prolonged absence was a gigantic mistake, Sara.”

“Not necessarily,” Sara said as she looked up at Brian and smiled weakly.

“I should have brought you here sooner. Twenty-seven years is a long time to wait to be reunited with your family,” Scott said as he looked into Sara’s eyes. “I just wanted to give you a choice.”

“I know, and it’s okay,” Sara began. “I know you only had the best in mind for me and I appreciate it. Ever since I was little I have longed to be in a place where I belonged. Somehow, I believed that one day I would find out that I was more than just an orphan girl trying desperately to fit in somewhere.”

“Does this mean you’re going to stay with us?” Scott asked.

“For now,” she said nodding. “I have to learn about the things that set me apart from other people. I want to know about my birthright and if I run away, then I will never find the answers to the questions I have. In such a short period of time, I’ve met someone who means everything to me, and discovered that I have a family.” As she spoke, tears began to stream down Sara’s cheeks and she sniffed.

As she wiped the moisture away, she looked at Scott. “If this is any indication to me as to what the future will bring, I wouldn’t miss it for the universe.” She paused and finally her words came out barely above a whisper.

“Daddy, I’m home.”

THE END


End file.
